b n
nice warm seat electric chair
noggin head, brain
no more nerve than a catfish coward
nosey curious
not a peep not a word
to nudge to push
nut fool
b o
off-hand pasting occasional beating
off his nut unreasonable
old bloke funny person
old can prison
old pill unpopular person
old tomato low-class woman
old warm squativoo electric chair for the execution of criminals
one-arm joint lunchroom on the serve-yourself plan
one-two-seven skilful, tactful
on the fly evading the law
on the level honest, frank – on the dead level for emphasis
to out with the old equalizer to draw a pistol
overhead expenses; debt
to owe the state any time to finish a prison sentence
c p
pad glove
pair of tops dice that are improperly spotter to permit cheating
pally friendly
to palm to handle; to shake
pan face
pancake face
to paste to beat
peek look
stray peek furtive glance
peg leg
peggy joyce dance hostess whose business it is to see that customers buy drinks
perfect plant easy job
petty-larceny kind of guy pickpocket
phedinkus nonsense
phenagling around any act that is disliked; annoying conduct
phonus bolonus faked
piece news-paper item
pinch arrest
pineapple bomb
pins legs
pipe-dreamy highly fictitious; very unlikely
to pitch to throw the ball
to pitch to make love
to play on one’s muscle to bluff
to play the warm to make friends
plenty of coconuts much money
plenty of heat full of anxiety
to plug to shoot; to work steadily
to be plumb gone to fall in love
a plumb washout a failure, disappointment
pokey prison
to pop off to die
to pot to shoot
potatoes dollars
proper caper right way
punk child; a boy who begs food for a tramp and serves him generally
puppy cowardice
puss face
to put the arm on to arrest
to put the blast on to bring somebody into disrepute
to put the finger on to poit out someone
to put the lug to beg
b r
racketeering criminal or shady activity of a gang
rah-rah-rah hurrah
rap nod, condemnation
rat betrayer, crook
rattle-headed gossiping person
raw unfair
to ride the tubs to cross the ocean (tub = ocean liner)
right off the bat at once, immediately
rock diamond
rod revolver
rodded up heavily armed
to root to cheer, to applaud
rotten deal unfair treatment
rum-chaser coast patrol-boat
rumpot confirmed drunkard
run-in fight
running start beginning
to run out on someone to break off with someone
rutabaga beetroot
b s
sap fool
sawbuck ten-dollar note
scragged hung; executed
scratch money
scribe journalist
scrooching back to crouch
see-more coat very short jacket
set ready
shebang building; a poor shelter
to shed to get rid of
shellacking thrashing
to shin up to climb
shiv artist knifer
shivved stabbed
short automobile
to show much foot to outrun; to prove oneself superior
simple simon diamond
single alone; unmarried
slams drinks
slapdash at full speed
sleeve handcuff
slicked up neat; trin
sloppy careless; slovenly
slug bullet
slum cheap stuff
to slump down to fall
smack-dab straight, right into
smush mouth
to snatch to abduct; to kidnap
sneezer prison
snoring senseless, unconscious
snort intoxicating drink
soft touch poor fighter
sopping wet addicted to drink
to sort of rouse oneself to try to keep up courage
speak drinking shop
to speak through one’s hat to talk nonsense
to split out to eject
square on her feet firm on her feet
square-looking funny-looking
square pan and square shoulders broad face and broad shoulders
to squint to look
squirt youngster
stewed up intoxicated
to stick in one’s oar to take a person’s part; to take part in conversation
stiffering bribing
stir criminal slang for “prison”; “short”stir because the prisoners got their hair cut short
stool pigeon informer
sucker for a curve poor player who fails to measure up to expectations
surge in push in
swag loot
swig drink
to swing a very mean skillet to be a good cook
to switch in to smuggle
b t
to take to bet
to take a belt to swallow a drink of whiskey
to take the breeze to get away, to skip
to take it on the lam to escape
to take out for an airing to kill an enemy or an unwanted associate
to take the wind to go away
teensy nibble small bet
ten G’s ten thousand dollars
terrible fink very questionable person
testy angry
three C’s three hundred dollars
to throw a bull by the tail to jump from a horse running at full speed
ticker sense
tickled half to death very glad
tootsie darling
top-notch ducket-hustler first-class ticket-seller
torch song generally a sad or comic song known to be a success with audiences at cabarets or night clubs; impromptu song
total bust great failure
to the hay to bed
tough beef opponent who is hard to beat
tough break misfortune
traffic summons fine for driving too fast
trambo tramp
trap mouth
truck dispute
to try the back door to escape
to tucker oneself out to get up
two-handed spender good customer
two yards two hundred dollars
b u
up in the paint cards at bursting point
b v
vanity case manicure case
b w
waffle old-fashioned person
wake entertainment
to walk oneself bow-legged to tire oneself to death
weak face no courage
to weigh in the sacks to ridicule
well cased spied out
to welsh to cheat, to deceive
what he heaves what is the result
what is eating him what is the matter with him
what is the score what is going on
white quarter 25 cents
to wiggle off to take revenge
will up and croak on us will die on our hands
wobbling about very loose at the hinges feeling very strange
woofle-woofle wild
b y
yank in their noodles withdraw their heads
b z
zing vigour, energy
to zip to sneak
to zip along to drive recklessly
zoople-zoople barking